Canadian church denies postponing ecclesiastical court hearing of atheist minister

The United Church of Canada (UCC) has denied postponing an ecclesiastical court hearing that would determine whether a self-professed atheist minister could continue serving in the church.

The Star reported in November that Rev. Gretta Vosper, the minister of West Hill United Church of Toronto, Ontario, had received a letter informing her of the delay of her hearing that could see her defrocked as she is a professed atheist.

"It is now clear that the panel will not be established in time to hold the hearing on the dates that you are holding in November 2017," the church letter stated.

In 2016, a United Church reviewing panel had recommended in a split decision that Vosper be defrocked for her atheism. The final decision on the minister's status was supposed to be handed down during the hearing scheduled for November, according to The Star.

A spokesperson for the church, however, denied the claim that the formal hearing had been postponed. "We continue to work with the parties to define preliminary issues. Until this step is concluded a date for the hearing cannot be set," said UCC spokesperson The Rev. Alan Hall.

Hall had stated that the lengthy time period for the process was required because the church wanted to properly discern the matter before taking action.

"While the time frame seems long, the significance of the potential outcome requires care and diligence with each step of the process," he told The Christian Post.

Vosper, who was ordained in 1993 and joined her West Hill congregation in 1997, had declared her atheism in 2013, but she had publicly stated for years that she did not believe in what she described as "a supernatural, interventionist, divine being."

Her congregation had embraced her decision, and a representative had said that her church has largely secularized worship services. But some church members have been critical of Vosper, saying her beliefs are at fundamental odds with United Church doctrine and values.

The church saw a decline in membership as it adopted a more secularized service. Figures released by the church indicated that the membership dropped from 324 members in 2000 down to 147 in 2014.

The UCC's Toronto Conference decided to conduct an investigation on Vosper in 2015 to determine whether she should remain as an ordained minister, given her profession of disbelief.

The Conference Interview Committee for the United Church's Toronto Conference ruled 19-4 in September 2016 that Vosper was unsuitable to serve as a minister because "she does not believe in God, Jesus Christ or the Holy Spirit."

Vosper has remained active in the nontheist movement since the release of the committee's decision and she has helped found a secular community called the Toronto Oasis in 2016.

She noted that she and other West Hill members have received a positive response in their efforts to reach out to other United Church members and adherents.

"Each has been rich and rewarding for all who have participated, and has allowed West Hill's people to share their perspective about what it is we do. That has been very good," Vosper said.